Tennessee Preseason - D Scheme Variations

We saw a few wrinkles alluded to by McCarthy in the off season with the first team defense on the field. Here a few notes on the first team snaps:

1st. Snap:

Unbalanced 3-4 with the presumed current top-of-the-depth-chart personnel.

LOLB Matthews
LDE Neal
NT Raji
RDE Daniels
ROLB Peppers

The D-Line is shifted left with Neal heads-up over the RT. Peppers is in one of the "elephant" variations...on the line, standing up against the inside TE in a double-TE left formation. B. Jones and Hawk are manning the inside box offset to the strong side. Matthews is step off the line at a wide-9/slot position. With no WR left, Shields creeps up in the box for edge contain with an eye on the man in motion toward his side. Dix read the play perfectly (a power run to the strong side behind the 2 TEs and the motion back), came up fast in run support, and beat Hawk to the point of attack.

With no WR left, all Peppers would need to do is put his hand down to make this a 4-3 look.

Side note#1: Raji is playing 1 technique which is worth keeping and eye on, since he's been a better gap player at nose than a classic-head up 0 tech.

Side note #2: Peppers got blown out of the play by a TE pushing him down field.

2nd. Snap:

Same personnel, 9-men-in-the-box including Shields in press position against the right slot. This is a 3-4 run-sell-out set. The 3 down linemen are at approximately 3 and 1 (Raji offset again) and 4 techniques, shifted strong-side right. B. Jones comes up to the line over the TE left, Matthews is on the left again up on the line this time; Peppers is upright outside the TE (off sides actually, but not called).

Note #1: Daniels made an inside rush move and TEN ran right by him for 5 yards. It was the same rush move that TEN ran by him for the later TD.

Note #2: I'm a little surprised to see Neal, at a recently-reported 265 lbs., playing head-up on an OG. Boyd at LT would be a more plausible variation in a sell-out-against-the-run set. Evidently D. Jones is not quite ready for prime time and they want to test Neal at this spot.

Note #3: The graphic showing D. Jones and Richardson as the starters was incorrect, if that is not evident already from the above.

Snap 3:

3rd. and 2 with a nickel run set. Heyward is in at nickel. Matthews and Peppers have switched sides and are upright on the line at 7 and 9 tech. Peppers is getting down low at the snap, almost hand in the dirt, preparing to tee off. Dix comes up to the line for run support/press coverage over the TE. Everybody is playing press with 10 guys within 4 yards of the LOS.

Note #1: Peppers beat the RT and may have forced Locker to throw a tad early, misfiring deep. Peppers was a step behind recording a hit.

Note #2: House had nice step-for-step inside coverage on the WR go-pattern that Locker was looking for all the way. Hayward was playing nickel.

Snap 4:

1st. and 10. Vanilla nickel set with Hayward in. Matthews and Peppers upright in pass rush position and Raji/Daniels down inside. Muffed snap.

Snap 5:

Another more-or-less vanilla nickel set. Hyde redirected the secondary pre-snap...Locker went to the check down for 4 yards. Nice job executing some Capers confusion.

Snap 6:

More vanilla nickel. Shields flagged for PI on an out route with the ball overthrown. They might have let this go last season with the ball out of reach.

Snap 7:

Vanilla base. Neal still in at LT. Another muffed snap.

Snap 8:

There were a couple of interesting wrinkles in this vanilla base D on 2nd. and 13 with TEN huddling. It's rare not to see Capers go to nickel with this down and distance with the opponent huddling no less. Peppers, back on the right side, jumped out to cover a slot WR with both safeties behind him. Locker looked right at the WR, but elected to stay with the run right. Hawk crashed inside and Jones made a nice tackle on the runner trying to bounce outside for a TFL.

Snap 9:

3-safety dime on 3rd. and 13 with Hyde/Dix/Richardson. We saw a few 3 safety sets last year when Richardson returned; we should see it again this year. House is outside and Williams is in the slot; this was a wrinkle mentioned by one of the coaches recently that they were looking to try this year. Neal was in for Daniels as a down lineman, with Raji again.

Snap 10:

This was TEN's 13 yd. TD run after the muffed punt. Vanilla base set. Daniels made an inside move again, Jones was leaning inside and was late getting back to the cut-back hole. Peppers had edge contain. Big hole, Greene goes untouched to the end zone.

That's if for the full presumptive-at-this-time first team.

What we did not see that we should expect at some point:

- Neal playing some OLB in rotation/situational play at some point as he did last season.

- Somebody other than Neal playing DE in base, perhaps sooner rather than later.

- Peppers dropping down with his hand in the dirt on occasion, though he came close on snap #3.

- A few more variations in the secondary when Burnett returns. With Hyde moving to safety and Dix looking quite competent, the secondary is deep all around.

We saw a few wrinkles alluded to by McCarthy in the off season with the first team defense on the field. Here a few notes on the first team snaps:

1st. Snap:

Unbalanced 3-4 with the presumed current top-of-the-depth-chart personnel.

LOLB Matthews
LDE Neal
NT Raji
RDE Daniels
ROLB Peppers

The D-Line is shifted left with Neal heads-up over the RT. Peppers is in one of the "elephant" variations...on the line, standing up against the inside TE in a double-TE left formation. B. Jones and Hawk are manning the inside box offset to the strong side. Matthews is step off the line at a wide-9/slot position. With no WR left, Shields creeps up in the box for edge contain with an eye on the man in motion toward his side. Dix read the play perfectly (a power run to the strong side behind the 2 TEs and the motion back), came up fast in run support, and beat Hawk to the point of attack.

With no WR left, all Peppers would need to do is put his hand down to make this a 4-3 look.

Side note#1: Raji is playing 1 technique which is worth keeping and eye on, since he's been a better gap player at nose than a classic-head up 0 tech.

Side note #2: Peppers got blown out of the play by a TE pushing him down field.

2nd. Snap:

Same personnel, 9-men-in-the-box including Shields in press position against the right slot. This is a 3-4 run-sell-out set. The 3 down linemen are at approximately 3 and 1 (Raji offset again) and 4 techniques, shifted strong-side right. B. Jones comes up to the line over the TE left, Matthews is on the left again up on the line this time; Peppers is upright outside the TE (off sides actually, but not called).

Note #1: Daniels made an inside rush move and TEN ran right by him for 5 yards. It was the same rush move that TEN ran by him for the later TD.

Note #2: I'm a little surprised to see Neal, at a recently-reported 265 lbs., playing head-up on an OG. Boyd at LT would be a more plausible variation in a sell-out-against-the-run set. Evidently D. Jones is not quite ready for prime time and they want to test Neal at this spot.

Note #3: The graphic showing D. Jones and Richardson as the starters was incorrect, if that is not evident already from the above.

Snap 3:

3rd. and 2 with a nickel run set. Heyward is in at nickel. Matthews and Peppers have switched sides and are upright on the line at 7 and 9 tech. Peppers is getting down low at the snap, almost hand in the dirt, preparing to tee off. Dix comes up to the line for run support/press coverage over the TE. Everybody is playing press with 10 guys within 4 yards of the LOS.

Note #1: Peppers beat the RT and may have forced Locker to throw a tad early, misfiring deep. Peppers was a step behind recording a hit.

Note #2: House had nice step-for-step inside coverage on the WR go-pattern that Locker was looking for all the way. Hayward was playing nickel.

Snap 4:

1st. and 10. Vanilla nickel set with Hayward in. Matthews and Peppers upright in pass rush position and Raji/Daniels down inside. Muffed snap.

Snap 5:

Another more-or-less vanilla nickel set. Hyde redirected the secondary pre-snap...Locker went to the check down for 4 yards. Nice job executing some Capers confusion.

Snap 6:

More vanilla nickel. Shields flagged for PI on an out route with the ball overthrown. They might have let this go last season with the ball out of reach.

Snap 7:

Vanilla base. Neal still in at LT. Another muffed snap.

Snap 8:

There were a couple of interesting wrinkles in this vanilla base D on 2nd. and 13 with TEN huddling. It's rare not to see Capers go to nickel with this down and distance with the opponent huddling no less. Peppers, back on the right side, jumped out to cover a slot WR with both safeties behind him. Locker looked right at the WR, but elected to stay with the run right. Hawk crashed inside and Jones made a nice tackle on the runner trying to bounce outside for a TFL.

Snap 9:

3-safety dime on 3rd. and 13 with Hyde/Dix/Richardson. We saw a few 3 safety sets last year when Richardson returned; we should see it again this year. House is outside and Williams is in the slot; this was a wrinkle mentioned by one of the coaches recently that they were looking to try this year. Neal was in for Daniels as a down lineman, with Raji again.

Snap 10:

This was TEN's 13 yd. TD run after the muffed punt. Vanilla base set. Daniels made an inside move again, Jones was leaning inside and was late getting back to the cut-back hole. Peppers had edge contain. Big hole, Greene goes untouched to the end zone.

That's if for the full presumptive-at-this-time first team.

What we did not see that we should expect at some point:

- Neal playing some OLB in rotation/situational play at some point as he did last season.

- Somebody other than Neal playing DE in base, perhaps sooner rather than later.

- Peppers dropping down with his hand in the dirt on occasion, though he came close on snap #3.

- A few more variations in the secondary when Burnett returns. With Hyde moving to safety and Dix looking quite competent, the secondary is deep all around.

Click to expand...

Very impressive film beeakdown from the forum's now official defensive analyst. Kudo's HRE

We saw a few wrinkles alluded to by McCarthy in the off season with the first team defense on the field. Here a few notes on the first team snaps:

1st. Snap:

Unbalanced 3-4 with the presumed current top-of-the-depth-chart personnel.

LOLB Matthews
LDE Neal
NT Raji
RDE Daniels
ROLB Peppers

The D-Line is shifted left with Neal heads-up over the RT. Peppers is in one of the "elephant" variations...on the line, standing up against the inside TE in a double-TE left formation. B. Jones and Hawk are manning the inside box offset to the strong side. Matthews is step off the line at a wide-9/slot position. With no WR left, Shields creeps up in the box for edge contain with an eye on the man in motion toward his side. Dix read the play perfectly (a power run to the strong side behind the 2 TEs and the motion back), came up fast in run support, and beat Hawk to the point of attack.

With no WR left, all Peppers would need to do is put his hand down to make this a 4-3 look.

Side note#1: Raji is playing 1 technique which is worth keeping and eye on, since he's been a better gap player at nose than a classic-head up 0 tech.

Side note #2: Peppers got blown out of the play by a TE pushing him down field.

2nd. Snap:

Same personnel, 9-men-in-the-box including Shields in press position against the right slot. This is a 3-4 run-sell-out set. The 3 down linemen are at approximately 3 and 1 (Raji offset again) and 4 techniques, shifted strong-side right. B. Jones comes up to the line over the TE left, Matthews is on the left again up on the line this time; Peppers is upright outside the TE (off sides actually, but not called).

Note #1: Daniels made an inside rush move and TEN ran right by him for 5 yards. It was the same rush move that TEN ran by him for the later TD.

Note #2: I'm a little surprised to see Neal, at a recently-reported 265 lbs., playing head-up on an OG. Boyd at LT would be a more plausible variation in a sell-out-against-the-run set. Evidently D. Jones is not quite ready for prime time and they want to test Neal at this spot.

Note #3: The graphic showing D. Jones and Richardson as the starters was incorrect, if that is not evident already from the above.

Snap 3:

3rd. and 2 with a nickel run set. Heyward is in at nickel. Matthews and Peppers have switched sides and are upright on the line at 7 and 9 tech. Peppers is getting down low at the snap, almost hand in the dirt, preparing to tee off. Dix comes up to the line for run support/press coverage over the TE. Everybody is playing press with 10 guys within 4 yards of the LOS.

Note #1: Peppers beat the RT and may have forced Locker to throw a tad early, misfiring deep. Peppers was a step behind recording a hit.

Note #2: House had nice step-for-step inside coverage on the WR go-pattern that Locker was looking for all the way. Hayward was playing nickel.

Snap 4:

1st. and 10. Vanilla nickel set with Hayward in. Matthews and Peppers upright in pass rush position and Raji/Daniels down inside. Muffed snap.

Snap 5:

Another more-or-less vanilla nickel set. Hyde redirected the secondary pre-snap...Locker went to the check down for 4 yards. Nice job executing some Capers confusion.

Snap 6:

More vanilla nickel. Shields flagged for PI on an out route with the ball overthrown. They might have let this go last season with the ball out of reach.

Snap 7:

Vanilla base. Neal still in at LT. Another muffed snap.

Snap 8:

There were a couple of interesting wrinkles in this vanilla base D on 2nd. and 13 with TEN huddling. It's rare not to see Capers go to nickel with this down and distance with the opponent huddling no less. Peppers, back on the right side, jumped out to cover a slot WR with both safeties behind him. Locker looked right at the WR, but elected to stay with the run right. Hawk crashed inside and Jones made a nice tackle on the runner trying to bounce outside for a TFL.

Snap 9:

3-safety dime on 3rd. and 13 with Hyde/Dix/Richardson. We saw a few 3 safety sets last year when Richardson returned; we should see it again this year. House is outside and Williams is in the slot; this was a wrinkle mentioned by one of the coaches recently that they were looking to try this year. Neal was in for Daniels as a down lineman, with Raji again.

Snap 10:

This was TEN's 13 yd. TD run after the muffed punt. Vanilla base set. Daniels made an inside move again, Jones was leaning inside and was late getting back to the cut-back hole. Peppers had edge contain. Big hole, Greene goes untouched to the end zone.

That's if for the full presumptive-at-this-time first team.

What we did not see that we should expect at some point:

- Neal playing some OLB in rotation/situational play at some point as he did last season.

- Somebody other than Neal playing DE in base, perhaps sooner rather than later.

- Peppers dropping down with his hand in the dirt on occasion, though he came close on snap #3.

- A few more variations in the secondary when Burnett returns. With Hyde moving to safety and Dix looking quite competent, the secondary is deep all around.